We’re getting into a new season. For me, summer is the best time to garden. I realize I get distracted by all the vegetables popping up and only want to focus on that rather than taking care of the rest of our space. The other day I walked out our back door and realized how little I’ve put into maintaining my supply area.

End of season clutter

I tend to keep most things, and really believe in making use of old rather than buying new. Unfortunately, this philosophy can make for a sloppy environment. Luckily, we have been doing some makeovers in our kitchen so I had this shelf at my disposal.

Shelf to repurpose

This was a shelf that I got for super cheap so I didn’t mind repurposing it for the garden. It was holding some cookbooks, knives, and other miscellaneous kitchen items. It worked well for a few years, but now we’re starting to baby proof and this was way too rickety for a small child to pull up on.

Much better!

The shelf works much better for lighter materials outside. It’s also great to have things higher off the ground so I’m not crouched down all the time. Now that I’ve cleared some space with the shelf I can use the old cluttered area to plant in!

Use for light sun

This was a burlap sack that a friend Laura made me for my birthday. It has 6 pockets that you can use for planting or storage, and I’ve been meaning to hang it for months now. This area gets light sun so it will work great. If you’re interested in a burlap sack Laura is going to start selling so look to LaceandLeaf for the progress.

For starters

It was best to put some tools and gloves in the top so the water doesn’t trickle down. I decided to use this for starters. Seeds won’t burn or be bothered here so once the seedlings start to grow and strengthen I’ll transplant into a larger area. It feels so good to have some cleaning done!

Back in 2004 when I was looking to name my events company, I stumbled across the word 'Chic' in an old dictionary. The definition was: “a fashionable lifestyle, ideology, or pursuit”. I fell in love with the word and the idea that chic is the pursuit of something better, prettier, or cooler than you are today. Chic isn’t a state of being or even a destination, chic is the journey you take on the way to something greater. ~Rachel

Rachel's Latest Answer

Question: From RJ in Los Angeles Hi Rachel! We had a gathering last night where quite a few kids (mostly toddlers) showed up with their parents. My husband and I are childless, but love kids and aren’t afraid of messes/things breaking, etc. But, one of the mothers made a comment about “another friend of hers… Read more »